Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.
We recently met up with Lauren Pratt, Executive Director on the Architecture, Engineering and Construction team at Green Key. Lauren started her career at Green Key in 2022, with 6 years of previous recruiting experience. As an expert in her field, she works within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction team focusing on the construction side of the business for the Southeast US.
How did you first get started in Architecture and Engineering recruiting?
Honestly, just at the right place at the right time! My undergraduate degree is in Petroleum Engineering (I chose to follow in my dad’s footsteps). I worked within the oil and gas industry early in my career and when we went through a downturn, I interviewed with a recruitment company who helped hire within O&G. They asked me to come work for them and build out a technical discipline, which was construction. I ended up loving the juxtaposition of the technical aspect with the personality and sales piece of the candidate and client side and never looked back!
What motivated you to pursue a career in this niche?
I grew up in a family that pursued very technical careers, so I was a bit naive to the niche in general. I ended up loving the detail and technicality I could bring to the role with my more unique background, paired with the personality and sales piece. To me, recruitment is like a puzzle – finding out the details and pairing the right candidates and clients together. That gives me a lot of fulfillment when it comes together and knowing you are helping further a candidate’s career or helping a company continue to grow with a great hire.
What have been some of the most rewarding aspects of your career?
From a personal aspect, nothing will ever top a grateful candidate or client – the call, the text, the LinkedIn recommendation – knowing that you have made a positive impact. From a professional aspect, being able to work in a sales role allows you to get out what you put in – and to be compensated for that success.
How do you identify and attract top talent in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction fields?
We as a team have a great track record in the space, which helps attract talent through reputation and referrals, but it’s really just continuing to make a name for yourself in the industry – going above and beyond for our candidates and clients and that translates into other people wanting to work with us as well. We utilize LinkedIn and our networks extensively; we continue to stay on top of new technology and are not afraid to try something new if it means bringing in new talent from either a candidate or client side!
How do you stay updated on industry trends and developments to better serve your clients and candidates?
Straight from the source – the best is always through candidates and clients as they are the ones in it every day. We also have websites and tools we utilize as well and always share information and articles across the team collaboratively.
What are some key factors that clients typically consider when selecting candidates for Architecture and Engineering positions?
I can only speak to construction and development specifically, but we look for alignment in project portfolio, tenure, who they work for, what they are looking for in a new role, and compensation and where applicable, dig into those pieces so we can paint a clearer picture for our clients when representing these candidates.
2024 marks 20 years of Green Key and how would you describe your experience since starting here?
Rewarding – from a compensation perspective and a mental health perspective. I appreciate the autonomy and flexibility granted to you here to run a business, the capability to offer input on things like new tech or processes. I love the team I work on here and am grateful to get to work with them every day!
